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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. court — for sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. court — of law
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — of a king
  16. can — a tin
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — to come from
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. can — a tin

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