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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: fan · wave · mug · cap · cue · field · coach · bank

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — for pool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — for sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. cap — a hat
  16. field — a subject
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cue — a signal

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