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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: pass · content · swing · pitch · bear · saw · patient · branch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. content — happy
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. content — the amount
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. swing — to play on
  11. branch — a division
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — in golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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