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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: fan · pit · patient · suit · rush · roll · swing · bound

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bound — certain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. swing — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — a list
  24. fan — a supporter

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