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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 120 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: racket · field · dip · club · mine · bark · kick · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kick — in football
  12. dip — to sink
  13. field — a subject
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. field — farmland
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. field — for sport
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. racket — for tennis

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