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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — a price
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — a position
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — to trim
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — the earth
  23. march — music
  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