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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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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: mug · date · shower · firm · coach · ground · present · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — decided
  3. present — the time now
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — a cup
  7. present — there
  8. mug — to rob
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — a company
  16. date — the fruit
  17. firm — steady
  18. ground — the earth
  19. present — a gift
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mug — a face

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