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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: craft · ruler · coach · march · cue · bass · wind · patient

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. craft — boats
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — a signal
  17. march — the month
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a skill

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