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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 120 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. last — finally
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — an amount
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — temperature
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. last — to go on
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. last — final
  24. staff — employees

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