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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 116 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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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: fine · scale · field · rock · mug · mark · rest · coach

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. field — farmland
  4. scale — in music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mug — a face
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rest — a break
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rock — to move gently

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