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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: date · suit · cap · deal · fall · bark · swing · patient

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. suit — to fit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — of ice
  6. deal — to handle
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. swing — music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. bark — to shout
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a lid
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fall — to drop

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