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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in biology
  3. march — the month
  4. net — in sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. field — for sport
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. net — for catching
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — music

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