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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. drill — a practice
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. bass — low music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ground — a position
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. drill — army training
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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