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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — there
  7. field — a subject
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. dip — to sink
  17. present — the time now
  18. fork — in a road
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bark — to shout
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. key — for a lock
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — for sport

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