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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 116 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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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: kid · patient · cap · coach · suit · ground

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ground — the earth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — a hat
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cap — a lid
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person

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