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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 · pound · mug · key · date · board · patient · cold

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mug — a cup
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. key — for a lock
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cold — not warm
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. board — a committee
  16. pound — a weight
  17. date — the fruit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. key — the most important part

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