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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: rock · bark · game · deal · field · root · coach · wax

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a word
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. field — farmland
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. root — the cause
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. game — a match
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. game — a kind of play

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