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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. field — a subject
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mark — a trace
  11. scale — in music
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — for digging
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — for money
  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