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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: band · dip · patient · fan · degree · coach · row · toast

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a ring
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — from a university
  17. toast — bread
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — a sick person

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