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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · key · ball · stand · fine · chair · kid

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fine — all right
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — to tease
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kid — child
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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