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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. scale — in music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spring — the season
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. scale — size or range
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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