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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 · fork · stem · shower · fan · can · bear · pitcher

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. shower — rain
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stem — of a plant

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