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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — for sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — the time now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mate — a partner
  16. present — there
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — farmland
  24. mate — a friend

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