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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: field · pass · bound · ball · pop · squash · rest · coach

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pop — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — farmland
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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