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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: toast · hide · current · bay · rest · coach · net · field

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — a break
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. field — farmland
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. field — for sport
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — after costs
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. toast — bread
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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