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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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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: toast · key · swing · leaves · fork · pit · field · march

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. march — music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. swing — to play on
  8. toast — bread
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — in a road
  14. swing — music
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. march — the month
  18. field — farmland
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. leaves — lets stay

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