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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: kick · capital · bound · swing · track · game · stick · patient

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — in golf
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. capital — money
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. track — a path
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. capital — a city
  17. bound — certain
  18. kick — in football
  19. game — a match
  20. swing — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — tied together

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