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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 116 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: cue · bear · fan · field · rock · land · key · spell

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spell — letters
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — a short time
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — magic
  14. key — the most important part
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — a country
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rock — to move gently

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