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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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