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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: rock · coach · foot · rash · pass · field · bulb · can

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — farmland
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. field — for sport
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — to spend time

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