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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 116 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: spring · pop · stock · bulb · bowl · stem · bound · fan

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spring — the season
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pop — soda
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. bulb — for light

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