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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. object — a thing
  6. field — for sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ground — a position
  15. band — a ring
  16. object — to protest
  17. foot — a measure
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. file — a tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. band — a music group
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — an aim

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