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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 124 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — to drill
  22. drill — army training
  23. field — farmland
  24. fine — a penalty

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