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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — humankind
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — the arms race
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — in sport
  15. bound — certain
  16. race — a contest
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — tied together
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitch — completely

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