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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 116 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: coach · patient · craft · cold · mark · staff · track · stick

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — a trace
  6. track — a song
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — a path
  12. craft — a skill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a grade
  20. craft — boats
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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