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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — the amount
  8. lean — thin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. field — a subject
  15. content — happy
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a music group
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. fork — in a road
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to bend

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