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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: last · drill · fan · coach · patient · mate · pop · jam

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mate — a partner
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. pop — to visit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mate — to breed
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — army training
  20. pop — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. last — finally
  24. fan — a supporter

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