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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 120 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: wave · patient · pitcher · club · arm · pass · trunk · tube

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — a permit
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tube — a container

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