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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 116 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
468
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 · pop · craft · coach · leaves · hand · chair · stick

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — farmland
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — in cards
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — boats
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. field — a subject
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — music
  22. field — for sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. hand — help

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