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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.

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: pit · field · coach · bulb · cell · arm · nail · ground

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. field — a subject
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — the earth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. field — for sport
  10. cell — a phone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — crushed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. field — farmland
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ground — a position
  24. nail — on a finger

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