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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: pop · suit · coach · spring · kick · patient · mine · date

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — to fit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — in cards
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kick — in football
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — clothes
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — the season
  20. date — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spring — a coil

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