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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: date · firm · band · patient · calf · bulb · charge · bat

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a music group
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. bat — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — in control
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. date — the fruit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. firm — a company
  22. charge — electricity
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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