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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a hint
  9. field — farmland
  10. game — a match
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cue — a signal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cue — for pool
  19. craft — boats
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — a subject
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — a tin
  24. field — for sport

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