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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.

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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: mark · mine · bore · field · staff · file · foot · coach

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. field — a subject
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. field — farmland
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. file — a document
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bore — to tire
  19. field — for sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. file — a tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bore — gave birth

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