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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · mouse · coach · rock · clip · bat · patient · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. clip — a video
  15. bat — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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