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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — for sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — a subject
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bank — for money

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