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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.

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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. shower — rain
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — for money
  6. shower — to wash
  7. field — farmland
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — a contest
  16. bank — for money
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to click
  20. race — humankind
  21. pound — a weight
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. field — a subject

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