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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — farmland
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spell — magic
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. face — to point toward
  11. field — a subject
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. field — for sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — to breed
  19. face — to confront
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bowl — a dish

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