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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — a container
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fine — all right
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — a face
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. swing — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. swing — to play on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. sharp — exactly

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