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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 116 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 · charge · pitcher · stem · bear · spring · bat · fan

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spring — of water
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. charge — a price
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — the animal
  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