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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: wax · field · pop · file · coach · bay · toast · jam

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a tool
  15. pop — music
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. field — a subject
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — farmland
  22. file — a line of people
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a document

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