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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: bulb · lean · court · rule · bass · key · saw · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rule — a law
  3. lean — thin
  4. court — for sport
  5. rule — government
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. key — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lean — to rest against

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