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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. field — a subject
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bat — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. field — for sport

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