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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — a price
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — electricity
  6. object — an aim
  7. scale — in music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. object — a thing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — to protest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — tied together
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. charge — in control
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — obliged

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