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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: pit · fan · object · lie · charge · field · bulb · roll

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — for sport
  7. roll — a cake
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. charge — a price
  11. object — a thing
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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