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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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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: coach · kick · field · ruler · date · bank

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — a subject
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — farmland
  6. kick — in football
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. field — for sport

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