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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. field — farmland
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. file — a tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. board — to get on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — letters
  19. field — a subject
  20. board — a committee
  21. season — of the year
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. spell — a short time

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