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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: chest · board · swing · game · bore · suit · patient · pound

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pound — a weight
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — wild animals
  12. board — a committee
  13. swing — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chest — of your body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — to drill
  20. game — a match
  21. bore — to tire
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chest — a box
  24. bore — gave birth

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