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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — a price
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. field — a subject
  9. present — a gift
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — shares
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — goods

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