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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 116 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: bank · squash · fan · bear · bulb · stem · court · track

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — a path
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — to crush
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stem — to come from
  14. court — of a king
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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