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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cap — a lid
  3. field — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pop — soda
  14. field — a subject
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — farmland
  19. pop — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. cap — of ice
  22. object — a thing
  23. cap — a hat
  24. staff — employees

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