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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a dance
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cue — a hint
  20. drill — army training
  21. branch — a division
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bulb — of a plant

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