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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: rest · coach · field · rock · calf · bark · date · land

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. land — ground
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — a stone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — for sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rest — a break
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. land — to come down
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — a country
  23. rock — music
  24. rest — what's left

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