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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. field — farmland
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. field — a subject
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. band — a ring

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