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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — a company
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to click
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a cup
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. firm — decided
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — farmland

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