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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: roll · field · pitch · lie · mark · coach · wax · temple

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — completely
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — a subject
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mark — a trace
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. field — farmland
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wax — to grow
  24. roll — a list

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