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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · band · coach · field · toast · straw · jam · pound

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. field — farmland
  3. mug — a cup
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. band — a music group
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. field — for sport
  21. band — a ring
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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