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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. season — in sport
  11. rest — a break
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. season — of the year
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — in control
  20. field — a subject
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. charge — a price
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. charge — electricity

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