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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: degree · pitcher · staff · content · patient · swing

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. degree — temperature
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — happy
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — the amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. swing — music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees

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