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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — to come from
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. can — a tin
  7. cell — a phone
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. can — to be able to
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com