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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — a partner
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a friend
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cue — for pool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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