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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stem — to come from
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — the season
  10. field — for sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bank — for money
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bank — of a river
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. field — a subject
  19. band — a music group
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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