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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 116 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 · cue · rash · game · board · club · pop · patient

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. game — a match
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pop — soda
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — a group
  8. board — to get on
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — for pool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for golf
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — hasty
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — a series
  23. cue — a signal
  24. 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