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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 120 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: suit · scale · ball · bulb · wake · cap · stem · spring

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — in music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a lid
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stem — of a plant

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