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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: swing · field · mark · root · coach · bat · patient · stick

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. swing — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. root — of a word
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mark — a grade
  11. field — farmland
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — the cause
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — a subject
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. field — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — a trace

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