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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · prune · bulb · leaves · calf · sharp · bowl · field

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. field — for sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kid — child
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. field — farmland
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. calf — a young animal

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