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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: season · deal · rush · coach · patient · bear · pit · date

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. season — of the year
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — to handle
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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