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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.

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: field · key · bulb · bat · tear · rock · object · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. object — to protest
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — a subject
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rock — music
  21. object — an aim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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