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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: mug · bulb · tear · field · deal · ball · staff · mark

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ball — a great time
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tear — to rip
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — farmland
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mug — to rob
  18. staff — employees
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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