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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cap — a lid
  4. field — a subject
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. current — happening now
  7. club — for golf
  8. field — for sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — of ice
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a hat
  19. current — of water
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — electric
  23. field — farmland
  24. club — a group

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