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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · perch · wave · coach · bulb · bound · court · tube

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of a king
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bound — tied together
  10. perch — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — for sport

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