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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bulb — for light
  3. land — ground
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. field — a subject
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. field — for sport
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitch — completely
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — a country
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — farmland
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wax — to grow

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