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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.

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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: bat · staff · ball · board · bore · patient · coach · shower

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ball — a dance
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to tire
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. board — a committee
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bore — to drill
  17. shower — rain
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ball — a great time
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ball — a round shape

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