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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — in a race
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. field — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — boats
  11. bank — of a river
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. toast — bread
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bulb — of a plant

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