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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.

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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: drill · snap · coach · rash · patient · ground · rule · game

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. game — a match
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. drill — army training
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — a series
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rule — government

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