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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: key · craft · bulb · wound · fine · season · stem · tube

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — boats
  12. fine — high quality
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — a container
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stem — to come from
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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