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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 120 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: pit · field · cap · coach · temple · bound · rock · rash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. field — for sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — a lid
  14. field — a subject
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — a stone
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — in a race
  24. coach — a trainer

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