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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. field — farmland
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to sink
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. season — of the year
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rock — music
  24. season — in sport

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