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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 · cabinet · leaves · patient · degree · toast · bat · tube

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. tube — the underground
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bat — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — bread
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bulb — for light

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