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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. net — for catching
  4. club — for dancing
  5. field — farmland
  6. club — a group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — in control
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. charge — electricity
  14. toast — bread
  15. field — for sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. foot — a measure
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — for golf
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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