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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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468
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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kid — to tease
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kid — child
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pass — a permit
  17. field — a subject
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pit — in a race
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — for digging
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. snap — to click

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