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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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. land — a country
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — there
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lie — to recline
  11. land — to come down
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — a gift
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stand — to bear
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — a division
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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