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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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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 · fan · deal · pound · patient · bulb · court · board

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. board — a committee
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — to get on
  7. court — for sport
  8. pop — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. court — of law
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pound — a weight
  18. court — of a king
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. board — a flat piece

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