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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ground — crushed
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — farmland
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — on the skin

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