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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 116 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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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: track · bay · kid · fine · bowl · coach · patient · ruler

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. track — a song
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kid — to tease
  7. track — to keep track
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — child
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. track — a path
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bowl — a dish

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