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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: mouse · stick · pitcher · shower · vault · stem · bulb · cap

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bulb — for light
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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