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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 · chair · bowl · leaves · mark · pitcher · sharp · coach

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mark — a grade
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mark — a trace
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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