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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 116 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: coach · swing · board · bulb · land · field · ruler · ground

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. swing — in golf
  4. land — to come down
  5. ground — a position
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. field — farmland
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — a country
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — crushed
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — ground
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — the earth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ruler — for measuring

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