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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: face · field · stand · coach · mug · stock · can · toast

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. 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. face — part of the head
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. can — a tin
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. can — a tin
  8. toast — bread
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. face — to confront
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — farmland
  14. face — to point toward
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mug — a face
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. field — a subject
  19. mug — to rob
  20. can — to be able to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. 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