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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: fine · bulb · pitcher · patient · rule · shower · content · mark

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — to wash
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. content — the amount
  13. fine — all right
  14. shower — rain
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. content — happy
  24. mark — a trace

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