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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — for catching
  7. squash — the sport
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — a subject
  24. arm — part of the body

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