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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 · staff · stem · prune · bat · bulb · ball · cap

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bat — the animal

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