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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: last · fork · fine · field · stick · band · pit · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. field — for sport
  4. last — finally
  5. field — farmland
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. band — a ring
  14. field — a subject
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. last — final
  18. fine — all right
  19. last — to go on
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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