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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: bulb · bat · rush · stem · mouse · march · chair · ball

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. march — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chair — a leader

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