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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. suit — clothes
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. swing — music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. band — a ring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. band — a music group
  24. bat — for baseball

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