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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. craft — boats
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mate — a friend
  10. field — farmland
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. field — a subject
  16. pop — soda
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. craft — a skill

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