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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · pitch · mug · chip · cold · racket · patient

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cold — an illness
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cold — not warm
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a face
  15. season — in sport
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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