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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: swing · bowl · bulb · march · capital · calf · pitch · patient

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. swing — in golf
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. march — the month
  8. capital — money
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. capital — a city
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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