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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. field — for sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — a subject
  21. file — a document
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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