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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — to crush
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. field — a subject
  13. cap — a hat
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. craft — boats
  21. key — in music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. field — for sport

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