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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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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 · club · bowl · tube · vault · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tube — a container
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person

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