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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ground — crushed
  4. court — of a king
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — the earth
  7. court — for sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. track — a song
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — to keep track
  22. snap — to click
  23. march — the month
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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