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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — in football
  4. field — farmland
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — clever
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a lid
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. cap — a hat
  24. foot — a measure

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