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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 116 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 · patient · cap · coach · suit · ground · branch · swing

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cap — a lid
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ground — the earth
  12. branch — a division
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. suit — clothes
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — a position
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — of ice

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