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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to point toward
  4. field — for sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. court — of law
  11. cue — a hint
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — for sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. press — to push
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of a king
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — for pool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. face — part of the head

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