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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lean — to bend
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lean — thin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. field — farmland
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — clever

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