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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. face — to point toward
  4. field — a subject
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — farmland
  14. craft — boats
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bore — gave birth

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