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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: face · patient · race · ball · bank · bowl · game · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ball — a dance
  13. face — to confront
  14. race — a contest
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a great time
  20. race — humankind
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. game — a match

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