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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. degree — temperature
  11. net — for catching
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. degree — from a university
  15. net — in sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitch — completely
  18. net — after costs
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. degree — an amount

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