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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — to play on
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pop — to visit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. staff — a stick
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. swing — music

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