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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pass · coach · row · bear · tear · ball · drill · field

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. field — for sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. field — a subject
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a great time
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a dance

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