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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: patient · ball · mate · field · foot · mine · deal · coach

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — for sport
  3. ball — a great time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — a friend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — farmland
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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