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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: cabinet · dip · rest · bulb · bat · bark · field · fan

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — a subject
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. field — for sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. field — farmland

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