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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 · mine · season · roll · plane · stand · rock · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. roll — a list
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. race — a contest
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. season — of the year
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mine — an explosive
  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