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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: coach · mug · object · board · fork · wax · field · pitcher

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — an aim
  3. mug — a cup
  4. field — farmland
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fork — in a road
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. object — a thing
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. field — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. board — to get on
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. object — to protest
  24. fork — a garden tool

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