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

Word bank: stem · bowl · key · bulb · bay · season · stick · race

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. season — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bowl — a dish

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