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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: field · charge · rest · coach · land · rock · object · face

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. land — ground
  6. object — a thing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — in control
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — to come down
  11. rock — a stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. object — an aim
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. charge — a price
  19. object — to protest
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — a subject

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