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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: bulb · snap · fine · can · staff · field · bound · wind

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — a subject
  3. bound — tied together
  4. field — farmland
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fine — all right
  10. field — for sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fine — high quality
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — certain
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — to turn a key

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