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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 116 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: coach · rock · race · trunk · dip · firm · charge · field

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — a contest
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — a stone
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. charge — electricity
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. rock — music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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