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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: bear · field · staff · deal · fan · coach · nail · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. field — farmland
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. field — a subject
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — to come down

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