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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — to push
  6. net — for catching
  7. mate — a partner
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pop — to visit
  10. swing — to play on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. swing — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — a friend
  17. net — after costs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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