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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. row — a line
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. drill — the tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. scale — size or range
  24. drill — army training

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