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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: season · stem · rule · mouse · staff · bulb · leaves · track

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rule — government
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — to come from
  16. season — of the year
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — to keep track
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rule — a law
  21. staff — employees
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — for a computer

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