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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — finally
  3. roll — a cake
  4. degree — an amount
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — to go on
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — music
  11. roll — a list
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. season — in sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pop — soda
  23. last — final
  24. degree — temperature

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