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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 116 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: bulb · sharp · coach · pass · track · mate · bat · field

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. field — a subject
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bat — the animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. track — a path
  24. bat — for baseball

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