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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · tube · field · fork · key · mine

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. field — a subject
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — farmland
  7. tube — a container
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — for sport
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — in a tire

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