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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
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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: coach · current · tear · pass · field · wake · bowl · swing

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — farmland
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — to play on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — of water
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — music
  13. field — a subject
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pass — a permit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — electric
  22. field — for sport
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. current — happening now

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