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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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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: foot · coach · field · ground · cue · pass · racket · hand

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pass — a permit
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — for sport
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cue — a signal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — farmland
  23. ground — a position
  24. hand — part of the body

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