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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: pitcher · bark · rush · fine · coach · patient · rash · season

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. season — of the year
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bark — to shout
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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