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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: bank · land · stand · jam · field · lean · rock · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — a country
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. field — for sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. field — farmland
  12. land — to come down
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. field — a subject
  16. stand — to bear
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rock — a stone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rock — music
  24. land — ground

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