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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: scale · season · patient · race · can · prune · pop · bulb

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pop — music
  7. race — humankind
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pop — soda
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — a contest
  18. scale — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. prune — to trim

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