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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 · net · rule · trunk · racket · toast · mine · patient

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. toast — bread
  6. net — in sport
  7. rule — a law
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. net — for catching
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — for digging
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mine — an explosive

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