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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. court — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. ground — the earth
  17. squash — to crush
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — a position
  21. court — of law
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of a king

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