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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: present · land · rock · field · fork · ball · roll · bulb

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ball — a dance
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — the time now
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — to come down
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. rock — music
  14. land — ground
  15. fork — in a road
  16. field — for sport
  17. roll — a list
  18. ball — a great time
  19. present — a gift
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — there
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — a country

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