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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: jam · can · bat · patient · cell · coach · rock · land

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — a phone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. land — a country
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — ground
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rock — music
  24. land — to come down

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