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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. foot — a measure
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — a practice
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. drill — the tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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