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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — a price
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. object — to protest
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pop — music
  14. bass — low music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — farmland
  19. charge — in control
  20. pop — soda
  21. fine — all right
  22. field — a subject
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the fish

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