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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — army training
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — bread

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