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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: bass · toast · patient · spell · pop · racket · last · bulb

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pop — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the fish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — finally
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. last — to go on
  20. toast — bread
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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