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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cold · rush · ruler · dip · date · coach · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — for sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rush — hurry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — a subject
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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