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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · band · bulb · pit · stem · bark · bass · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. band — a ring
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — low music

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