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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mug — a face
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — farmland
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. toast — bread
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. field — for sport
  17. mug — to rob
  18. charge — a price
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. charge — in control
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — a subject

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