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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: nail · stand · scale · field · charge · fine · firm · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — farmland
  3. charge — a price
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — a subject
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — decided
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fine — all right
  17. field — for sport
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. nail — for a hammer

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