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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · can · bulb · patient · stem · wave · spring · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. spring — of water
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. content — the amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. spring — the season

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