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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: patient · ground · bark · game · club · coach · pass · pitcher

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — crushed
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. club — a group
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — to shout
  19. game — wild animals
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. game — a match

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