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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · date · rock · fork · fan · wax · land · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — a country
  3. field — for sport
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. land — ground
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — farmland
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. land — to come down
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rock — music
  21. field — a subject
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rock — a stone

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