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

Word bank: bulb · clip · ball · cell · bore · ruler · field · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — a video
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — a subject
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. field — for sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. clip — to cut
  15. field — farmland
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — a phone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — in biology

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