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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. swing — to play on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitch — completely
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. squash — the sport
  10. capital — money
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spring — the season
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spring — of water
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. capital — a city
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. spring — a coil

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