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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · rush · fork · swing · patient · board

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — in a road
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — a committee

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