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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: charge · field · face · dip · craft · bulb · roll · pit

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — electricity
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. field — a subject
  11. face — to confront
  12. roll — a list
  13. craft — boats
  14. pit — a hole
  15. face — part of the head
  16. craft — a skill
  17. charge — a price
  18. face — to point toward
  19. field — for sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — a cake
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — in control

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