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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · fork · field · stand · staff · sharp · dip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — farmland
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — in a road
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fork — to eat with

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