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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rock — music
  4. field — farmland
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — a subject
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. degree — temperature
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — hurry

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