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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. field — a subject
  24. bank — for money

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