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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: cue · lash · pitcher · bank · row · field · coach · patient

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — for sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — farmland
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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