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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. bore — to tire
  5. net — in sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. field — farmland
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — with your hand

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