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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. court — of a king
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. club — a group
  9. land — to come down
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. court — of law
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — a country
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — thin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. club — for golf

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