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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 116 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: can · bat · stick · bulb · patient · pitcher · spell · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — magic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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