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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 120 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
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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: pit · wake · foot · ruler · field · coach · suit · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — a measure
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — farmland
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hand — part of the body
  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