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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: coach · perch · racket · bulb · jam · file · patient · mug

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a line of people
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. file — a document
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — a cup
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a face
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mug — to rob
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. jam — a tight spot

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