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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — electric
  5. bark — to shout
  6. swing — music
  7. current — of water
  8. mark — a grade
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mark — a trace
  22. field — farmland
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — a sick person

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