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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 · field · fork · present · deal · fine · net · wake

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — for catching
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — there
  7. field — for sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. field — a subject
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. net — in sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. net — after costs
  17. field — farmland
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fork — in a road
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. present — the time now

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