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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 · shower · charge · coach · craft · racket · firm · lean

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — a skill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. field — a subject
  6. firm — steady
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — boats
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. field — for sport
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — farmland
  16. shower — rain
  17. lean — to bend
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. charge — electricity

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