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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: rule · bowl · fall · field · coach · season · patient · squash

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. squash — the sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. field — farmland
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — a law
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — the season
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — in sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. squash — to crush
  20. field — for sport
  21. rule — government
  22. field — a subject
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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