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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. march — music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. field — farmland
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. field — for sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. saw — the tool

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