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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
468
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 · tube · coach · kid · key · mug · degree · can

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. degree — an amount
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mug — to rob
  11. degree — from a university
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — a container
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. degree — temperature
  17. key — in music
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. key — the most important part
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kid — child
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — for a lock

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