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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — a thing
  3. land — to come down
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — farmland
  7. object — an aim
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. field — for sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — to protest
  18. field — a subject

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