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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — of water
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — hasty
  24. tube — a container

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