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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — a path
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — a song
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — to lash out

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