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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 116 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: field · ruler · lean · coach · mouse · mine

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. field — a subject
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — thin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — for digging

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