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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 · cap · spell · hide · hand · deal · fine · coach

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spell — magic
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fine — high quality
  9. field — for sport
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. field — a subject
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — help
  20. fine — all right
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. field — farmland

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