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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 124 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. court — of law
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rash — hasty
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. dip — a sauce

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