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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — a gift
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — the time now
  8. field — farmland
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — a stick
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — temperature
  21. field — a subject
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. present — there

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