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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: swing · racket · cabinet · key · patient · ground · pass · wound

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — in golf
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — a position
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — the earth
  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