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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: last · stand · coach · bat · calf · field · band · bear

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. field — for sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. field — a subject
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. last — final
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. field — farmland
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. band — a ring

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