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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · spring · racket · stem · pop · chair · scale · bulb

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pop — soda
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. cell — in biology
  13. chair — a leader
  14. scale — in music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pop — music
  24. bulb — for light

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