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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 120 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: spell · hand · patient · pop · coach · board · bass · race

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pop — soda
  7. spell — magic
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bass — low music
  15. race — humankind
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — to get on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. board — a committee
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. race — a contest

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