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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.

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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — clever
  5. last — final
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cap — a lid
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. last — to go on
  16. cue — a signal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. last — finally
  23. cap — a hat
  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