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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · field · bark · track · bulb · fork · plane · bank

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. field — a subject
  3. track — a path
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — a tool
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bark — to shout
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. game — a match
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. field — for sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — for money
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bulb — of a plant

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