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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rock — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. club — for golf
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — a group
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — for sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  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