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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: bulb · deal · lash · bowl · march · patient · court · kick

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. court — for sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. march — the month
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — of law
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of a king
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. march — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — an eyelash

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