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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 116 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: fan · field · tube · root · mug · stem · bulb · cabinet

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mug — a face
  5. field — farmland
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — a subject
  10. mug — a cup
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. field — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. root — of a word
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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