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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.

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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: club · mug · rash · cap · patient · fine · rule · coach

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — government
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mug — a cup
  14. club — a group
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fine — all right
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rash — hasty

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