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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · dip · field · pound · racket · face · board · coach

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. field — a subject
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pound — a weight
  12. craft — a skill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — part of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — for sport
  20. face — to confront
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. craft — a handicraft

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