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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. field — a subject
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. field — for sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. field — farmland
  16. game — a match
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. perch — the fish
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bowl — a dish

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