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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. court — of a king
  4. field — for sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. cap — a lid
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. court — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — of law
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — of ice
  24. season — to add flavour

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