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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: ball · roll · ground · sharp · cabinet · field · coach · bay

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. roll — a list
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. field — a subject
  9. ball — a dance
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. field — farmland
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ground — a position

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