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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.

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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bass — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. drill — army training
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — happy
  24. dip — a sauce

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