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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 116 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: nail · bulb · fan · pitcher · rash · lash · field · bowl

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — for sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — a series
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — a subject
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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