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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — farmland
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — for sport
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bound — certain
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bound — tied together

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