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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: board · racket · patient · tear · press · coach · date · snap

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. tear — from crying
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — to rip
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to click
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — a committee
  23. press — newspapers
  24. tear — from crying

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