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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · land · coach · deal · march · bay · perch · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — ground
  3. deal — to handle
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — to come down
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — a country
  21. field — farmland
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — an agreement

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