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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. field — for sport
  4. mug — a face
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. staff — a stick
  11. spell — letters
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mug — to rob
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — magic
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. bulb — for light

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