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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: dip · pitcher · jam · bark · march · deal · coach · patient

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — the month
  4. dip — to sink
  5. march — music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — in traffic

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