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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 120 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: coach · bay · field · row · board · perch · press · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — for sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. board — a committee
  12. row — a line
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — a publisher
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. perch — the fish

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