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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. court — for sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of a king
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. dip — to sink
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. field — a subject
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — a sauce

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