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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: stem · bulb · ball · swing · march · wake · pitch · tube

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — music
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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