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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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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: sharp · bulb · bay · season · mark · bass · stem · coach

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — to come from
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — a grade
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stem — a stem cell

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