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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — in sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — in geometry

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