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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
468
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: racket · mug · field · coach · pitch · fall · wound · shower

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — to drop
  3. field — a subject
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fall — the season
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — completely
  11. field — for sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mug — a cup
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mug — a face
  17. shower — rain
  18. field — farmland
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mug — to rob
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — to drop

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