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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — to crush
  5. field — for sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. squash — the sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — a subject
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — farmland

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