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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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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: chest · pass · club · tube · cue · band · game · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. club — for golf
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — the underground
  11. band — a ring
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pass — a permit
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. game — a match
  18. band — a music group
  19. club — a group
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cue — for pool

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