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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
468
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: track · court · file · pitch · coach · lie · root · patient

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a song
  3. lie — to recline
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — completely
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. file — a document
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. court — of a king
  18. root — the cause
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. root — of a plant
  24. file — a line of people

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