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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 120 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 · pop · court · pitcher · arm · snap · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. court — of law
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — of your body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. court — for sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — music
  23. court — of a king
  24. pop — to visit

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