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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 116 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: key · safe · snap · field · stand · pop · spring · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pop — music
  3. field — farmland
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. snap — to click
  12. spring — the season
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — in music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. field — a subject
  21. pop — soda
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — the most important part

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