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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. stem — to come from
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bat — the animal

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