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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — farmland
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a ring
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — a subject
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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