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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 120 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 · bear · land · stick · pitch · patient · bark · key

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitch — completely
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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