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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: field · charge · date · season · face · spring · bowl · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — in sport
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spring — of water
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — a subject
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — of the year
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — in control
  20. field — farmland
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spring — the season
  24. face — to confront

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