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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. file — a tool
  6. field — a subject
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. field — for sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. file — a document
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — goods
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stock — shares
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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