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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — in control
  14. firm — steady
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. field — farmland
  22. firm — decided
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. charge — electricity

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