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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: pitcher · fall · prune · ball · firm · bulb · patient · fan

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a dance
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — steady
  24. fan — a supporter

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