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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: toast · track · coach · field · spring · staff · pitch · can

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a song
  5. pitch — completely
  6. toast — bread
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. spring — the season
  11. field — a subject
  12. track — to keep track
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. field — farmland
  15. track — a path
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — a coil

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