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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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. march — the month
  4. rock — a stone
  5. march — the month
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — a committee
  8. cold — an illness
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. rock — music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — a price

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