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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. field — a subject
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fall — the season
  11. firm — decided
  12. fork — in a road
  13. net — after costs
  14. bark — to shout
  15. field — farmland
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. firm — steady
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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