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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 · stem · chest · bowl · rock · cabinet · ground · net

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — after costs
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rock — music
  18. net — for catching
  19. chest — a box
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — a stone

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