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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. field — for sport
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. present — a gift
  9. field — a subject
  10. track — a path
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. field — farmland
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — to protest
  23. track — a song
  24. mine — for digging

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