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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: mine · hand · cap · bulb · pit · patient · ruler · coach

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — help
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — for light

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