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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stem — to come from
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — of the year
  22. court — of law
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — a subject

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