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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 120 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: fan · pitcher · present · nail · field · march · craft · coach

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — boats
  7. field — a subject
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — a gift
  11. craft — a skill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — music
  22. field — farmland
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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