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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pop — soda
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — a tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — a break
  23. bat — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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