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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
468
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: bowl · wax · patient · bark · coach · bass · ruler · field

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bass — low music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. field — farmland
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. field — for sport
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bark — to shout
  20. field — a subject
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. coach — a trainer

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