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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: stand · squash · field · last · cabinet · bulb · tube · stem

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. last — final
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. field — a subject
  11. bulb — for light
  12. last — to go on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. field — farmland
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — to come from
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — finally
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stem — of a plant

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