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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — after costs
  16. field — farmland
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — for catching
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. temple — side of the head

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