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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a song
  6. rock — a stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. field — a subject
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — for sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rock — music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a path

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