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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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. content — happy
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — the amount
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. charge — a price
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — a sick person

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