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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.

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
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: pitcher · chair · chip · lie · key · coach · patient · calf

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — an untruth

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