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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.

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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: suit · bulb · club · trunk · patient · spring · march · deal

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spring — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. club — for dancing
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — of water
  24. patient — a sick person

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