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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — electric
  5. spring — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. current — of water
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — a city
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spring — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — in a race
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. mug — a face
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — happening now

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