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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
468
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: fork · mine · nail · fine · bowl · jam · coach · field

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — a subject
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. field — for sport
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — farmland
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fine — all right
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — in a road

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