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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — in control
  4. field — a subject
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — in a race
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. field — farmland
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bass — low music
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — to wash
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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