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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — a subject
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mug — to rob
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — farmland
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — for sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mug — a face

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