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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — a gift
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — for sport
  5. present — there
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — a subject
  10. tube — a container
  11. mug — a face
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — the time now
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bank — for money

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