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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 · mouse · charge · stand · patient · coach · mug · bowl

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. field — farmland
  6. mug — to rob
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — a price
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. field — for sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. charge — in control

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