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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — to go on
  4. season — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — humankind
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — for betting
  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