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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
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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: field · tube · content · kick · coach · can · current · fan

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — for sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. content — happy
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — to be able to
  12. field — a subject
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — in football
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. content — the amount
  21. current — electric
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fan — to cool the air

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