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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: track · pass · toast · coach · cue · field · bank · hand

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a song
  6. pass — a permit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — in cards
  13. field — farmland
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cue — for pool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a path
  19. hand — help
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. bank — for money

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