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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: bulb · cold · patient · squash · dip · pit · mark · racket

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cold — an illness
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — to sink
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cold — not warm
  24. dip — a sauce

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