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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bulb — for light

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