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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: can · drill · race · field · pass · bear · coach · snap

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. drill — a practice
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. field — a subject
  13. drill — army training
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. race — the arms race
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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