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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 120 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: current · field · coach · chip · fork · lash · bay · cabinet

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — farmland
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — a subject
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — for sport
  24. fork — in a road

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