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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: field · land · date · board · roll · content · coach · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. field — a subject
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a list
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pass — a permit
  14. land — to come down
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — farmland
  17. date — the fruit
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. field — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. roll — a cake
  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