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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: mate · stock · nail · coach · trunk · field · staff · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — shares
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — employees
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — farmland
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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