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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · rash · field · press · bulb · race · jam · firm

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. field — for sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. race — humankind
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. firm — steady
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. press — newspapers
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. firm — decided
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rash — a series

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