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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — a subject
  17. present — there
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to drill
  24. nail — on a finger

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