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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · field · bulb · shower · pit · fine · present · calf

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. field — farmland
  7. shower — rain
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. field — a subject
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. prune — to trim
  24. calf — a young animal

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