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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: coach · dip · toast · fork · field · can · ground · bank

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. field — for sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — a position
  6. toast — bread
  7. dip — to sink
  8. field — farmland
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ground — crushed
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bank — for money
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. field — a subject
  24. dip — to dunk

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