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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 · date · season · face · jam · squash · coach · hide

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. field — a subject
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — to confront
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — to point toward
  18. field — for sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. season — in sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. squash — the sport

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