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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: deal · last · mark · coach · saw · field · fan · bear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — farmland
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — finally
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — for sport
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — final

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