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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: last · ball · fine · coach · pop · face · mouse · field

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — farmland
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fine — all right
  12. last — final
  13. field — for sport
  14. pop — to visit
  15. face — to point toward
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. last — finally
  22. field — a subject
  23. pop — soda
  24. face — to confront

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