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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — a subject
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — to handle
  12. toast — bread
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. track — a song
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — a path
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — for sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — to drill

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