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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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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 · board · ground · field · hand · bass · cue · mark

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bass — low music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — to get on
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — a position
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. coach — a trainer

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