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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: bear · face · bulb · stem · pop · court · coach · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — soda
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pop — music

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