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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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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: row · cap · jam · bank · patient · staff · swing · kid

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — for money
  4. staff — employees
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — of ice
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. swing — music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — in golf
  15. kid — to tease
  16. swing — to play on
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — a stick
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kid — child
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. row — a line

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