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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.

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: stand · fine · dip · fork · ground · mark · coach · chest

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — a position
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chest — a box
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — in a road

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