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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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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: dip · field · coach · tube · stock · march · fine · last

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — a container
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — shares
  5. field — for sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. field — farmland
  11. march — the month
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. last — finally
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — final
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fine — all right
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stock — a soup base

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