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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bound — certain
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — for sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. root — the cause
  11. field — farmland
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — in a road
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — a container
  19. bound — obliged
  20. root — of a word
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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