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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · mug · pit · mine · patient · wind · roll · bulb

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. roll — a list
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a face
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mug — a cup
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wind — moving air

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