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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — for golf
  4. field — a subject
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. roll — a list
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — a city
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. club — a group
  12. field — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. capital — money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. roll — a cake
  24. field — farmland

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