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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: bulb · stem · ground · current · can · bowl · hide · season

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — of the year
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. current — happening now
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — electric
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. season — in sport

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