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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — farmland
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — crushed
  9. field — for sport
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ground — a position
  16. spring — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — the season
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — the earth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. field — a subject
  24. season — of the year

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