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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
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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: suit · track · field · press · ground · ball · coach · bound

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ground — a position
  3. field — a subject
  4. press — to push
  5. bound — obliged
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a song
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. field — farmland
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a dance
  22. track — a path
  23. field — for sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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