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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — a container
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — a subject
  17. charge — a price
  18. date — the fruit
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bear — the animal

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