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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: stem · bat · roll · ground · mouse · bulb · jam · pass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ground — a position
  16. roll — a list
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — the earth
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. roll — on a roll

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