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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. drill — army training
  18. field — for sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. field — a subject
  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