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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. board — a committee
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. board — to get on
  7. rest — a break
  8. drill — army training
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — a hole
  11. field — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — farmland
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a path
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fall — the season
  18. drill — the tool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — a subject

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