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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chip — to eat
  11. field — for sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ground — the earth
  17. field — farmland
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — a position
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — the tool

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