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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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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: stick · lie · bay · bank · firm · bowl · bulb · field

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — for sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — steady
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. firm — a company

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