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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: cell · calf · pitcher · club · fall · cap · root · bulb

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — the cause
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for golf
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. club — a group
  20. root — of a word
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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