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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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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: game · pitcher · bulb · cap · drill · bound · prune · patient

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a match
  10. cap — a hat
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bound — tied together
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — of ice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitcher — a jug

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