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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: ruler · mouse · object · bound · calf · field · season · coach

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — of the year
  6. object — to protest
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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