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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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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: chair · ground · pop · snap · bulb · sharp · mug · stem

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — a position
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mug — a face
  13. snap — to click
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pop — soda
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — to come from

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