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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: swing · patient · content · press · coach · roll · pass · chest

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chest — a box
  4. swing — music
  5. roll — a cake
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — happy
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chest — of your body
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. content — the amount
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chest — of your body

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