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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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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: stick · patient · bulb · fine · arm · clip · cap · pitch

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — of ice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — to cut
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a lid
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — a video
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. arm — part of the body

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