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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 116 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: coach · field · bass · pass · dip · cue · drill · race

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — for sport
  10. bass — low music
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — a signal
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cue — a hint
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. race — a contest

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