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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.

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: rush · date · sharp · season · chip · mug · patient · coach

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a face
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — to eat
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — clever
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — for betting
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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