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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: arm · patient · kick · ball · pitch · coach · rule · ground

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rule — government
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — a law
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitch — completely
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — in football
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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