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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 120 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
468
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 · kick · mug · can · patient · fine · fork · march

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fine — high quality
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kick — in football

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