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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — for paper
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bulb — for light
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. date — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cue — a hint
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. clip — to cut
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. clip — a video
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cue — a signal

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