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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: can · spring · squash · game · stem · pitcher · file · bulb

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spring — the season
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a document
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — of water
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. can — to be able to
  20. file — a tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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