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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · season · fork · field · bay · rock · staff · key

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. field — for sport
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. field — a subject
  16. key — the most important part
  17. field — farmland
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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