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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: coach · calf · patient · game · rash · court · rush · jam

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. court — of a king
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a match
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. court — of law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. court — for sport
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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