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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. charge — in control
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. clip — a video
  7. game — a match
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — wild animals
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. field — for sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. clip — for paper
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — a measure
  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