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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. firm — a company
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. fork — in a road
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. firm — decided
  17. pit — in a race
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. perch — the fish
  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