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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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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: bound · field · rash · fork · key · last · cabinet · spell

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — for a lock
  16. last — final
  17. bound — certain
  18. field — for sport
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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