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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: stock · field · wake · bay · land · rest · fan · roll

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wake — a trail
  3. field — farmland
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. land — to come down
  7. roll — a list
  8. field — for sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — shares
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. roll — on a roll

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