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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · drill · sharp · stand · staff · patient · pit · cap

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pit — in a race
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. drill — the tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. drill — army training
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — of ice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — for light
  23. staff — employees
  24. patient — a sick person

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