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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · bass · sharp · season · stand · current · row · stem

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — of the year
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bass — low music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — to bear
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. row — a line
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — of water
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — to paddle

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