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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: content · field · stick · nail · coach · present · jam · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. present — the time now
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. field — farmland
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. present — there
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — a stone
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — a subject
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — for sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. nail — for a hammer

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