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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — in golf
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. march — the month
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — a division
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. swing — to play on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — for sport
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. field — farmland
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. march — the month
  23. field — a subject
  24. sharp — with an edge

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