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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — clothes
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — for catching
  5. court — of a king
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fine — high quality
  10. net — after costs
  11. cold — not warm
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. court — of law
  18. chair — a leader
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cold — an illness
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — in sport

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