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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — a subject
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cell — in biology
  11. field — for sport
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. field — farmland
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cue — a hint
  24. coach — a trainer

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