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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · swing · jam · craft · patient · kid · pitcher · trunk

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. kid — to tease
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — child
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mug — a face
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — a skill
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. swing — in golf
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — to play on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. swing — music

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