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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — a match
  3. field — farmland
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. field — for sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pop — music
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rule — a law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — for light

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