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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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468
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: file · bulb · patient · degree · kid · ball · season · nail

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — to tease
  4. file — a tool
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — an amount
  19. file — a line of people
  20. season — of the year
  21. ball — a dance
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kid — child

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