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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. track — a path
  11. board — a committee
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — a position
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bass — low music
  23. file — a tool
  24. track — a song

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