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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — a thing
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — low music
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — in sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bulb — of a plant

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