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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ball — a dance
  6. squash — to crush
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. field — a subject
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. season — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. field — for sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. field — farmland

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