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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. kick — in football
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. deal — to handle
  14. current — happening now
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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