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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 settled on a ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. field — a subject
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. field — farmland
  5. swing — in golf
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — a list
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. field — for sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. swing — music
  15. court — of a king
  16. swing — to play on
  17. court — for sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of law
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bulb — for light

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