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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a list
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. field — farmland

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