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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
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: cell · ball · bulb · patient · pit · pitcher · stock · mouse

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in biology
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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