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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — farmland
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. craft — boats
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. craft — a skill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. field — a subject
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. swing — music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — to visit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. field — for sport
  23. pop — music
  24. deal — to handle

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