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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — a subject
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — a cup
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mug — to rob
  16. field — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — a face
  19. content — happy
  20. degree — temperature
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. object — to protest
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. content — the amount

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