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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — a break
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chair — a leader
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a grade
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — what's left

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