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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 124 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — to come from
  5. club — for dancing
  6. field — farmland
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a hat
  10. degree — temperature
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. degree — from a university
  15. club — a group
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. degree — an amount
  18. field — a subject
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. club — for golf
  23. field — for sport
  24. cap — of ice

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