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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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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. game — a match
  6. season — in sport
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mug — a face
  9. swing — to play on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — of the year
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. key — in music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — to sit on

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