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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. field — farmland
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ground — crushed
  9. deal — to handle
  10. craft — boats
  11. press — a publisher
  12. field — a subject
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ground — a position
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. field — for sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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