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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: bound · spring · stand · field · coach · content · bay · cap

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spring — of water
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cap — a hat
  8. spring — a coil
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. field — for sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. content — happy
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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