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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rule — a law
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. file — a document
  9. foot — a measure
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. foot — the bottom

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