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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — certain
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — for sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — a song
  11. field — farmland
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. track — a path
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — a subject
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — in a road

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