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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — a subject
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tube — a container
  24. lie — to recline

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