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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: suit · bay · temple · pass · hand · swing · patient · capital

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. suit — to fit
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. capital — money
  13. suit — clothes
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hand — in cards
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — help
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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