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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: mine · bound · bulb · bay · file · field · rule · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. field — farmland
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — certain
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rule — government
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. field — for sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rule — a law
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bound — tied together
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. file — a tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. suit — to fit

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