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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.

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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: field · board · hand · coach · calf · foot · bass · stick

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. hand — in cards
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hand — help
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — farmland
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bass — low music
  20. board — a committee
  21. field — a subject
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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