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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — of a king
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — to breed
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — farmland
  14. game — wild animals
  15. field — a subject
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — a partner
  23. court — for sport
  24. field — for sport

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