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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — in music
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bore — to drill
  20. suit — clothes
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stand — to bear

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