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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — of the year
  6. firm — steady
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — tied together
  12. scale — in music
  13. bound — certain
  14. firm — decided
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — help
  24. patient — a sick person

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