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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: field · mate · jam · mug · stem · drill · track · coach

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. field — farmland
  4. drill — a practice
  5. field — for sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mate — to breed
  10. track — a path
  11. mate — a partner
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — army training
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. field — a subject
  20. drill — the tool
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stem — to come from
  24. coach — a trainer

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