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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. field — for sport
  4. rock — music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. bark — to shout
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — farmland

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