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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: clip · pitcher · band · stem · arm · bulb · ruler · cap

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a ring
  7. clip — a video
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cap — of ice
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. band — a music group
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — to come from
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cap — a lid

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