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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 · chest · deal · bank · root · spell · coach · staff

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chest — a box
  3. field — farmland
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — a subject
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. root — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — a stick
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spell — magic
  23. staff — employees
  24. coach — a trainer

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