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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.

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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: foot · rule · field · fall · coach · arm · trunk · ground

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. field — a subject
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. foot — a measure
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ground — a position
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — farmland
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rule — a law
  24. foot — the bottom

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