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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. perch — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — a path
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — the season
  14. mug — a face
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — the most important part
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. track — a song
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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