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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rule — government
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — the season
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rule — a law
  23. hand — in cards
  24. racket — for tennis

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