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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.

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 · patient · club · stock · lash · fine · rule · capital

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rule — a law
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — all right
  20. rule — government
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. club — a group
  23. capital — money
  24. stock — shares

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