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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.

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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: chair · patient · pass · kid · track · coach · object · temple

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — a song
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a path
  9. chair — a leader
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kid — to tease
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — a permit

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