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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: field · land · lash · sharp · ball · deal · coach · calf

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. field — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. land — to come down
  18. ball — a dance
  19. field — farmland
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. land — a country

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