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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. suit — in cards
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. scale — size or range
  12. suit — to fit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pound — a weight
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rule — a law
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — in music
  24. swing — music

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