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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: field · season · rule · coach · foot · suit · rock · wax

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rock — a stone
  5. field — a subject
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — for sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. foot — a measure
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — farmland
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rule — a law
  24. season — in sport

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