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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — to get on
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — in a road
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a committee

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