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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: pitch · coach · field · root · pop · patient · wave · vault

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — for sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — farmland
  13. pop — music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. vault — a safe
  22. root — the cause
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — to visit

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