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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: rock · leaves · stem · trunk · bulb · ball · perch · march

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — to come from
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — lets stay

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