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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: mark · fork · nail · hand · coach · object · last · field

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. last — final
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. last — to go on
  6. object — an aim
  7. field — a subject
  8. fork — in a road
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — in cards
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. field — for sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hand — help
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — finally
  23. fork — to eat with
  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