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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: swing · dip · mark · sharp · patient · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. swing — in golf
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. swing — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. swing — to play on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge

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