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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: pop · ball · bulb · clip · roll · club · rest · patient

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pop — to visit
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ball — a great time
  9. roll — a cake
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — soda
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — music
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — a video
  20. rest — a break
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. roll — a list
  23. club — for golf
  24. rest — what's left

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