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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · foot · perch · racket · field · stock · coach · date

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stock — shares
  7. field — a subject
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. foot — a measure
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — goods
  14. field — farmland
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. field — for sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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