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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: bulb · club · ball · file · patient · swing · kid · bowl

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. file — a tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kid — child
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. club — for golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — a group
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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