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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.

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: bulb · roll · wind · mug · field · leaves · content · bowl

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. field — farmland
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. roll — a list
  18. wind — moving air
  19. content — happy
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — a subject

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