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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — size or range
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — decided
  13. land — a country
  14. field — a subject
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — a sauce

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