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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: row · spring · band · can · fan · field · chip · coach

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. row — a line
  8. chip — to eat
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. field — a subject
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chip — for betting
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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