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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 · tube · stem · club · object · game · row · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. row — a line
  3. season — of the year
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — wild animals
  11. object — to protest
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tube — a container
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. object — a thing

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