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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 120 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. field — a subject
  24. sharp — exactly

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