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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. field — a subject
  3. content — the amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — of water
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. craft — boats
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. cell — in biology
  21. field — for sport
  22. content — happy
  23. vault — a safe
  24. firm — decided

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