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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: cap · game · pass · fork · stem · chest · sharp · bulb

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cap — a lid
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chest — a box
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fork — in a road
  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