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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.

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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 · bear · fine · coach · snap · mine · deal · safe

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. snap — to click
  3. field — farmland
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mine — for digging
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. deal — to handle

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