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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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: field · rule · key · fork · present · craft

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rule — government
  3. key — in music
  4. craft — boats
  5. fork — in a road
  6. field — for sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. field — farmland
  9. rule — a law
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. present — the time now
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. present — there
  18. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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