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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. present — a gift
  4. field — farmland
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — in football
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — there
  13. suit — clothes
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. land — ground
  23. ball — a great time
  24. field — a subject

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