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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — the time now
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — a container
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. present — a gift
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. present — there
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. swing — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. swing — to play on

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