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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · temple · bat · pit · mug · march · coach · patient

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mug — a face
  11. pit — a hole
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. march — the month

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