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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hand — help
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. patient — a sick person

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