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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: patient · march · racket · bulb · snap · stick · toast · season

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. snap — to click
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — for tennis

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