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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — a stone
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. field — a subject
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — a group
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. dip — to sink

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