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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chest — of your body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — happy
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. field — a subject
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. ball — a dance
  11. field — farmland
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ball — a great time
  14. content — the amount
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. field — for sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — a sauce
  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