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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. rule — government
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitch — completely
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. chest — of your body

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