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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. race — humankind
  3. field — a subject
  4. kick — in football
  5. field — for sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — the arms race
  8. charge — in control
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. race — a contest
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — a stick
  16. foot — a measure
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. field — farmland
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — with a leg

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