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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — farmland
  5. roll — a list
  6. club — for dancing
  7. charge — electricity
  8. toast — bread
  9. club — a group
  10. roll — a cake
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. field — a subject
  16. club — for golf
  17. rock — a stone
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. charge — in control
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bulb — for light

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