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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spring — of water
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. court — of a king
  12. bulb — for light
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spring — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. court — of law
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bass — low music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cap — a lid
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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