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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · stem · bulb · ball · file · squash · bass · kick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — in football
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stem — to come from
  24. kick — with a leg

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