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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — help
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — in cards
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — a face
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. safe — a strongbox

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