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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.

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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — clothes
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. field — farmland
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — a subject
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. key — the most important part
  18. coach — a trainer

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