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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. field — for sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — in music

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