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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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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: bulb · pit · mug · wake · field · scale · pound · can

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — farmland
  10. mug — to rob
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mug — a face
  15. bulb — for light
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wake — a trail
  20. scale — in music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — a tin

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