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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — for sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cold — an illness
  15. field — a subject
  16. key — the most important part
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. field — farmland

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