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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: pound · current · mouse · field · stand · coach · cell · mark

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. field — for sport
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. current — of water
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. field — a subject
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stand — to bear

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