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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 120 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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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: bass · stem · board · bulb · pop · march · season · mark

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — a committee
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pop — soda
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — to get on
  12. bass — the fish
  13. season — in sport
  14. pop — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — low music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pop — to visit

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