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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. field — for sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. court — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rock — music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. court — of a king
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — a practice
  17. field — a subject
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fork — in a road
  24. drill — army training

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