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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — for sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — farmland
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. field — a subject
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. track — a path
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — a song
  24. temple — side of the head

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