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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. field — for sport
  13. shower — rain
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — in sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — a grade
  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