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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — music
  6. capital — money
  7. shower — rain
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. hand — help
  12. can — a tin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. hand — in cards
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. can — to be able to
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. can — a tin

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