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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — a song
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — to keep track
  10. vault — a safe
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. date — the fruit
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. field — for sport
  18. land — to come down
  19. craft — a skill
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. land — a country
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. field — farmland
  24. date — on the calendar

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