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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. squash — the sport
  8. object — a thing
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — for sport
  12. mark — a grade
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. squash — to crush

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