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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: coach · bark · wake · rock · patient · capital · pit · safe

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rock — a stone
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — to move gently

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