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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. degree — an amount
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. charge — in control
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — high quality
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — in a road

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