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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · file · spring · last · stick · mouse · patient · pitch

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. file — a tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — to go on
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spring — of water
  24. file — a line of people

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