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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: fork · pitcher · patient · tube · ball · file · swing · club

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for dancing
  5. swing — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. swing — to play on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a dance
  11. club — a group
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — a container
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. club — for golf
  24. file — a document

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