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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · sharp · fine · racket · bark · patient

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — clever
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer

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