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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — boats
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fine — high quality
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. field — a subject
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fine — all right
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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