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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.

Make a worksheet

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: toast · drill · mine · coach · swing · row · field · charge

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. field — farmland
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — in control
  6. field — a subject
  7. drill — army training
  8. row — a line
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — for sport
  12. drill — a practice
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mine — for digging
  16. charge — a price
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. drill — the tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — electricity
  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