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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.

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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: fan · land · rock · firm · coach · mouse · wake · field

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. land — a country
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — farmland
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. land — ground
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — to come down

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