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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.

Make a worksheet

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: swing · fork · patient · leaves · game · jam · bound · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — in golf
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. game — a match
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — in a road
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — the fish
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bound — tied together
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. leaves — to go away

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