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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: roll · bear · band · court · patient · swing · pitch · lie

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. pitch — completely
  6. band — a music group
  7. lie — to recline
  8. court — of law
  9. swing — to play on
  10. roll — a list
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. roll — a cake
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. swing — music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — on a roll

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