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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — farmland
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. field — for sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. present — the time now
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. net — after costs
  17. cap — a hat
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. present — there
  21. field — a subject
  22. game — a match
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — a lid

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