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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: fork · coach · ball · suit · mine · tube · spell · patient

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. mine — for digging
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ball — a dance
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spell — letters
  24. suit — in cards

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