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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · tear · field · cue · fan · bass · safe · toast

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — for pool
  13. field — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bass — low music
  17. toast — bread
  18. field — farmland
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. tear — from crying
  23. field — a subject
  24. bass — the fish

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