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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. field — for sport
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. roll — a cake
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. roll — a list
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — of a plant

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