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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.

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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: mark · cue · rule · ground · pass · coach · field · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. field — farmland
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. field — for sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ground — a position
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. field — a subject
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — crushed

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