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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: tube · degree · object · club · patient · bulb · mouse · stick

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. club — a group
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — for golf
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tube — the underground
  15. object — an aim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — to protest
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — a container
  24. degree — from a university

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