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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · field · coach · sharp · chest · mate · temple · pitch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. chest — a box
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — a partner
  15. clip — to cut
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — farmland
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. field — for sport

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