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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. dip — to sink
  4. field — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — a subject
  11. tube — the underground
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. field — farmland
  24. pitcher — a jug

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