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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
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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: track · fine · patient · cue · coach · rest · mine · bowl

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — a song
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fine — all right
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — high quality
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bowl — a football final

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