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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — a lid
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — the month
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mate — to breed

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