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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. roll — a list
  8. field — for sport
  9. present — the time now
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. field — farmland
  13. present — there
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. vault — a safe
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. field — a subject
  23. present — a gift
  24. roll — a cake

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