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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. content — the amount
  3. field — for sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. club — a group
  8. present — the time now
  9. club — for dancing
  10. content — happy
  11. fork — in a road
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. present — a gift
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — in music
  16. field — a subject
  17. present — there
  18. club — for golf
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. field — farmland
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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