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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: rest · pop · patient · bulb · pitcher · stand · dip · object

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — a break
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — soda

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