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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: chest · leaves · racket · wound · patient · cue · club · bulb

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. club — for golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — lets stay

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