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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 124 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — a stone
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — in a road
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rock — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. field — for sport
  13. key — in music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — thin
  17. scale — in music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — belonging to me

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