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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: patient · foot · bank · bulb · mark · club · race · kid

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. foot — a measure
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — to tease
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kid — child
  18. bank — for money
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — humankind
  22. club — for dancing
  23. race — a contest
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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