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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. net — for catching
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — for a lock
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. march — the month
  13. key — in music
  14. march — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — the most important part
  22. march — the month
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — all right

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