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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: jam · net · bat · coach · land · rock · bowl · field

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. field — for sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — in sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. land — a country
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. land — to come down
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. field — farmland
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. net — after costs
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. field — a subject
  24. land — ground

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