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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — electric
  7. bass — low music
  8. net — after costs
  9. season — in sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — of water
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — for catching
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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