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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · net · wound · swing · rock · patient · club · tube

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wound — an injury
  9. swing — in golf
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — a container
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. net — for catching
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — for golf
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. club — a group
  22. rock — music
  23. net — in sport
  24. swing — to play on

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