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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. charge — a price
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lean — to bend
  8. field — for sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — in control
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. field — farmland
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fine — all right
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bulb — for light

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