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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: face · field · bore · cap · spring · coach · craft · fine

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. field — for sport
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — all right
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — the season
  14. craft — boats
  15. spring — a coil
  16. face — to confront
  17. cap — a hat
  18. field — a subject
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cap — a lid
  21. craft — a skill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fine — high quality

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