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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mug — to rob
  4. season — in sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kid — child
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — farmland
  16. land — to come down
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — a country
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — of the year

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