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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. scale — size or range
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. field — for sport
  9. present — a gift
  10. squash — to crush
  11. scale — in music
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — there
  15. squash — the sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spell — letters
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rock — music

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