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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — shares
  4. land — ground
  5. club — for golf
  6. season — in sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — a country
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — to come down

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