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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 116 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: pop · fine · kick · stick · chair · wax · field · coach

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fine — all right
  11. pop — soda
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. field — for sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — in football
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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