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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: patient · fine · mate · bulb · ground · leaves · tube · land

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. land — a country
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — a position
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mate — a partner
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — a container
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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