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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: straw · bore · bowl · dip · scale · pop · stem · bulb

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — to sink
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pop — soda
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stem — to come from

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