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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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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: safe · game · rash · swing · rock · patient

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. game — a match
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. swing — in golf
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — music
  18. rash — a series

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