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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 120 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 retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — a skill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — from a university
  10. craft — boats
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. degree — temperature
  14. suit — in cards
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mine — belonging to me

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