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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: patient · field · plane · pitch · rash · coach · branch · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. field — a subject
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — farmland
  20. rash — a series
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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