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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: rest · field · hide · pound · coach · track · racket · present

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — to keep track
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a song
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — a subject
  13. track — a path
  14. present — the time now
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. present — a gift
  17. pound — a weight
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — there
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rest — a break
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. hide — to keep secret

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