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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. field — farmland
  3. march — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. rash — a series
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. key — for a lock
  14. field — for sport
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. march — the month
  24. board — to get on

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