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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. face — to confront
  3. bulb — for light
  4. roll — a cake
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. club — for golf
  12. field — a subject
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. club — a group
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. shower — rain
  24. club — for dancing

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