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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 116 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: prune · mark · patient · cap · bulb · charge · wind · bat

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a hat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wind — moving air
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. charge — a price
  24. wind — moving air

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