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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. file — a document
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. field — a subject
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — for digging
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. file — a 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