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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. field — a subject
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. scale — in music
  14. field — farmland
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. field — for sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — out of danger

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