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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mate — to breed
  5. field — a subject
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. field — for sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mate — a friend
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — farmland
  23. fine — all right
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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