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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: coach · bowl · bound · field · kick · plane · fine · snap

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — high quality
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — farmland
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. plane — a tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bound — obliged
  19. snap — to click
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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