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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mate — to breed
  3. last — finally
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mate — a partner
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — for sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bank — of a river
  15. suit — in cards
  16. degree — from a university
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — a list
  19. last — final
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. field — a subject

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