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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 116 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: bay · patient · pitch · game · craft · suit · coach · bowl

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. game — a match
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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