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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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. vault — in gymnastics
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. field — a subject
  7. cue — for pool
  8. field — for sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cue — a hint
  22. craft — boats
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. craft — a skill

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