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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: fan · stem · bulb · track · staff · bay · ball · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — to come from
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a song
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. track — a path
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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