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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. field — farmland
  6. chip — to eat
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chip — for betting
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. field — a subject
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. field — for sport
  22. bore — to tire
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chip — in a computer

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