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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. board — a committee
  11. mate — a partner
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to point toward
  15. board — to get on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mug — to rob
  23. face — to confront
  24. mate — a friend

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