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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: staff · fork · bear · object · ball · field · foot · stick

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — a measure
  7. object — to protest
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. object — an aim
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — a thing
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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