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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ground — a position
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — a subject
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — in sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. field — for sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bulb — for light

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