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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
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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 · fan · staff · degree · present · race · face · rock

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. field — farmland
  2. face — part of the head
  3. degree — an amount
  4. field — for sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rock — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — there
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. face — to confront
  13. present — the time now
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. field — a subject
  16. race — a contest
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — humankind
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. race — the arms race
  23. face — to point toward
  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