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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.

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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: cap · bat · pit · field · bulb · mark · cabinet · bay

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. field — farmland
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — a hat
  16. field — for sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  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