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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: patient · board · mug · shower · pop · stem · coach · racket

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a committee
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mug — a face
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mug — a cup
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a flat piece

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