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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 · kick · field · ruler · date · bank · cap · craft

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — a subject
  3. craft — a skill
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — boats
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cap — of ice
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ruler — for measuring

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