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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: club · bay · rock · bulb · leaves · net · stem · cell

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. net — for catching
  5. club — for golf
  6. rock — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — in sport
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rock — a stone
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. club — a group
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. net — after costs
  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