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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — a contest
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lean — thin
  11. march — the month
  12. season — of the year
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — a loud noise

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