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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 · land · lean · ground · jam · rush · patient · club

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lean — thin
  3. land — to come down
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for dancing
  6. land — ground
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — a country
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. club — a group
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. club — for golf

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