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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. track — to keep track
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a great time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — crushed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — a position
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ball — a dance

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