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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. field — for sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. field — a subject
  7. court — of a king
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. court — of law
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spell — letters
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. court — for sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mate — to breed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fork — a garden tool

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