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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. field — farmland
  5. track — a song
  6. rock — a stone
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rock — music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — part of the head
  13. track — a path
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — to move gently

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