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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · fine · content · field · tear · bulb · net · mate

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — a subject
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tear — to rip
  10. field — farmland
  11. content — the amount
  12. tear — from crying
  13. field — for sport
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fine — all right
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — hasty

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