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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: rush · key · coach · last · stand · object · field · date

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — an aim
  5. field — for sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rush — hurry
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. object — a thing
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. key — the most important part
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. field — farmland
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — for a lock
  19. last — final
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. field — a subject

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