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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: dip · court · craft · present · coach · bore · mine · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. court — of a king
  3. present — there
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of law
  7. present — the time now
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. craft — boats
  11. field — for sport
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — to drill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — for digging
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — farmland
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mine — an explosive

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