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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 120 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: pop · racket · bowl · band · patient · coach · bulb · bore

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — to tire
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — to visit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pop — soda
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a music group

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