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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 116 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 · hand · degree · rock · patient · bulb · vault · pop

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pop — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hand — help
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — soda
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — temperature
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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