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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bulb — for light

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