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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stem — to come from
  9. last — to go on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — army training
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. drill — the tool
  17. last — finally
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. field — farmland
  24. charge — a price

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