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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: season · patient · cap · rest · ball · bulb · field · pass

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — a subject
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a lid
  17. season — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — of the year
  23. cap — of ice
  24. season — to add flavour

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