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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: prune · can · coach · ground · kid · calf · wake · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. field — a subject
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — for sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — to be able to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — a trail
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — crushed
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. field — farmland
  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