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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a line
  6. march — the month
  7. court — for sport
  8. field — for sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — a subject
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — to paddle
  15. march — music
  16. court — of a king
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — of law
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. current — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — farmland

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