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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.

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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: mug · field · spell · band · can · chip · coach · rush

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a ring
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. field — a subject
  11. mug — to rob
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — letters
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a music group
  20. chip — for betting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. field — farmland
  24. rush — hurry

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