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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. toast — bread
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. file — a document
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. file — a line of people
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. field — a subject
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. field — for sport
  19. file — a tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bound — certain
  24. arm — part of the body

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