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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a music group
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a ring
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stand — to bear
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitch — completely
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. coach — a trainer
  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