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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fine — all right
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — high quality
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — in a road
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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