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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: field · suit · rock · bat · snap · rush · land · bulb

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. suit — in cards
  9. snap — to click
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — to come down
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. field — for sport
  22. rock — music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. suit — clothes

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