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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ground — a position
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. kid — child
  13. present — the time now
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. present — there
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — crushed
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — thin
  21. present — a gift
  22. board — to get on
  23. field — a subject
  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