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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: rest · plane · scale · patient · pitcher · mark · game · coach

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a match
  6. rest — a break
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. scale — in music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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