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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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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: coach · suit · field · race · bowl · chair · pound · branch

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pound — a weight
  9. field — for sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. suit — to fit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. field — a subject
  19. race — a contest
  20. field — farmland
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — clothes
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chair — a leader

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