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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: bear · hide · pound · field · club · row · wax · coach

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. field — a subject
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. row — a line
  16. field — farmland
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — for sport

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