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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · patient · coach · content · net · drill

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. content — the amount
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — a practice
  6. net — for catching
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — a series
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. drill — army training
  12. content — happy
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — the tool
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. net — after costs
  18. rash — hasty

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