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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: foot · cold · march · jam · bank · patient · bay · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. march — music
  8. cold — an illness
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. foot — a measure
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — of a river
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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