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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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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. field — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. track — a song
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. mine — for digging
  15. field — farmland
  16. tube — a container
  17. key — in music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. field — a subject

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