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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. field — a subject
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bulb — for light

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