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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: mouse · deal · pop · patient · game · spring · swing · object

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. swing — in golf
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spring — the season
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. game — a match
  14. pop — soda
  15. swing — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. pop — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — a thing
  24. deal — a big deal

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