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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: fine · bulb · stem · wake · ground · cap · pound · bowl

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fine — all right
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stem — to come from

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