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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 120 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: bulb · face · pitch · cell · mouse · court · field · safe

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. court — of law
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — farmland
  5. cell — in biology
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. face — to point toward
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitch — completely
  24. safe — out of danger

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