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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — farmland
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. track — a path
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for 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