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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 116 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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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: bear · deal · squash · bulb · patient · ruler · craft · court

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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. court — for sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. craft — boats
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — of a king
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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