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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: patient · present · net · bulb · wake · stick · fine · cue

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — the time now
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — there
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — a signal
  14. net — after costs
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. present — a gift

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