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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.

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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: patient · coach · spell · rush · pitch · shower · cap · stock

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cap — a hat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — magic
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. shower — to wash
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — letters
  19. stock — shares
  20. cap — a lid
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — rain
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rush — to hurry

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