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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: kid · coach · fine · swing · rock · pass · patient · field

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. field — a subject
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rock — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — a penalty

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