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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: bulb · roll · race · firm · toast · patient · mine · staff

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. roll — a cake
  5. staff — employees
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. firm — steady
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — a contest
  17. mine — for digging
  18. toast — bread
  19. firm — a company
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. race — humankind
  22. roll — a list
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mine — an explosive

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