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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. track — a path
  3. content — happy
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. file — a tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — to drill
  15. file — a document
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. bore — to tire
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fork — to eat with

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