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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. 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. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. fork — in a road
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. field — a subject
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. 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