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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. dip — to sink
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bank — of a river
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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