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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: mine · jam · spell · field · nail · press · club · coach

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — for sport
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spell — magic
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. field — a subject
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — a group
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. field — farmland
  14. mine — for digging
  15. press — to push
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. club — for dancing
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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