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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 · field · fan · content · stand · bear · patient · can

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — happy
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. field — for sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. field — a subject
  20. content — the amount
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. field — farmland

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