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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. field — for sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. field — farmland
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — low music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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