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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.

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: season · spell · club · band · chip · pitch · patient · swing

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. club — a group
  3. band — a ring
  4. spell — a short time
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spell — magic
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — in sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. band — a music group
  23. club — for golf
  24. chip — to eat

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