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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a path
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. track — a song
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — to drill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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