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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
468
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: rule · field · rock · coach · rest · key · fan · roll

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. field — farmland
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — a subject
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — music
  16. roll — a list
  17. field — for sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rule — a law
  23. rest — a break
  24. fan — to cool the air

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