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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — farmland
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. field — for sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — for pool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stock — shares

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