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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: suit · track · bat · saw · coach · season · cap · patient

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — a path
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cap — of ice
  9. season — in sport
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — of the year
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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