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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — for sport
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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