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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. charge — a price
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. field — a subject
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — a position
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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