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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: row · swing · staff · patient · fan · sharp · court · leaves

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. swing — music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — of law
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. staff — employees

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