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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · calf · land · squash · bulb · patient · date · sharp

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — the sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ball — a great time

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