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

Word bank: fork · bound · wind · field · wave · stick

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — farmland
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — obliged
  13. field — a subject
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together

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