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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · chair · mine · patient · tube · key · stand · season

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — of the year
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. season — in sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mine — for digging
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chair — a leader
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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