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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: net · spring · squash · scale · bulb · foot · stem · pop

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. pop — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — to crush
  15. spring — a coil
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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