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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 120 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
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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: rush · saw · bulb · patient · arm · firm · ball · field

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. field — for sport
  3. ball — a great time
  4. firm — steady
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. field — a subject
  8. rush — hurry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — farmland
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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