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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 · nail · bear · wave · pitch · club · arm · patient

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. club — for golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wave — of the sea

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