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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. current — electric
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. field — a subject
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. field — farmland

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