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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 116 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: present · racket · patient · firm · swing · fan · kid · sharp

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. present — the time now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. firm — a company
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — there
  7. swing — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — to tease
  19. firm — decided
  20. swing — to play on
  21. present — a gift
  22. kid — child
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — steady

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