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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — a trace
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — from crying
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chip — to eat

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