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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. field — for sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to sink
  9. field — a subject
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — to be able to
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pit — in a race
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — clever
  23. branch — a division
  24. club — a group

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