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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · chair · field · roll · coach · toast

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. roll — a cake
  3. field — a subject
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. field — farmland
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. toast — bread
  16. field — for sport
  17. roll — a list
  18. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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