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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. field — farmland
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fork — in a road
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. key — in music
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fork — to eat with

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