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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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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 · fall · bay · perch · squash · band · field · safe

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. field — for sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — farmland
  6. band — a music group
  7. fall — the season
  8. band — a ring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — to crush
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — a subject

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