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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: net · stick · rock · patient · wound · ball · rash · coach

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — music
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — a series
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — on the skin

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