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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 116 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: bulb · club · patient · mug · pitch · wind · season · fan

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — moving air
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — a group
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mug — a face
  21. season — in sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — to add flavour

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