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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: can · row · bay · squash · coach · field · last · tube

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. last — final
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. row — to paddle
  14. field — for sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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