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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 120 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: band · can · coach · ground · fan · dip · court · patient

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. band — a ring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ground — a position
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fan — to cool the air

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