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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 120 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: field · coach · content · land · sharp · plane · fan · ruler

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — farmland
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. land — ground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — the amount
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. field — a subject
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. land — a country
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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